Who is ahead for Grover Beach mayor, City Council? Bright, Rushing maintain leads
Grover Beach mayoral candidate Karen Bright and Grover Beach City Council candidate Dan Rushing were leading their respective races as of 12:44 a.m. Wednesday.
With 100% of precincts reporting, Karen Bright, a current City Council member, had 56.4% of the vote in the race for Grover Beach mayor. Challenger Stacey Korsgaden, a Grover Beach business owner, who had 43.4% of the vote.
Bright previously won elections for city council in 2008, 2012 and 2020.
Bright said she was “very pleased” with the results so far, adding that “the voters haven’t let me down yet.” She also said she did not believe Korsgaden had the right experience in city government for the job.
“I was concerned about where we might go if I were not to have been successful,” Bright said.
If elected as mayor, Bright said she hopes to address homelessness in Grover Beach by incentivizing the construction of housing of all types.
Korsgaden previously lost two races for seats on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors in 2020 and 2022. She has been reluctant to acknowledge the legitimacy of the 2020 election, and attended the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington, D.C.
She said Grover Beach must diversify its business portfolio, placing less emphasis on cannabis industry expansion in the city.
“Cannabis will be opening in neighboring cities, which will diminish our market share,” Korsgaden told The Tribune.
In the race to represent District 2 on the City Council, incumbent councilman Daniel Rushing was leading retired dentist Ron Arnoldsen with 59.9% of the vote, compared to Arnoldsen’s 40.1% with 100% of precincts reporting.
“It’s really great to see the early returns, so I’m hopeful that they continue moving in this direction,” Rushing told The Tribune Wednesday morning. “I won’t count my hens, as they say, until they’re hatched.”
Rushing said if the results hold, he’ll aim to increase Grover Beach’s housing stock to combat rising housing unaffordability.
He said that building more mixed-use developments, homelessness and housing affordability are all part of his vision for Grover Beach’s future.
Rushing was appointed to the council in the spring of 2021, and is looking to defend his seat.
Rushing also said he believes Grover Beach has “been on the cutting edge of the evolving legal cannabis marketplace,” and supports the continued inclusion of cannabis dispensaries in the city.
Robert Robert was running unopposed to represent District 1 on the council.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 8:15 PM.
